Remodeling homes is a major part of the residential construction industry. The modern home owner has many options in remodeling kitchens and bathrooms based on the fact that suppliers of home kitchens and bathroom appliances are always coming out with new “more modern” designs of sinks, toilets, bathtubs etc.
Typically, the home owner wants to replace an “old fashioned” sink with a larger more modern (attractive) sink.
FIG. 1 is a top view (prior art) and FIG. 2 ((prior art) is a side view showing the typical drain from a sink connected to the sewer through a “P trap” and “waste Tee” as originally installed. There is shown the sink drain 10, a tail piece 12, a “P” trap 14, a tube connector 16, a waste tee leg 17, a waste tee 19, a vent pipe 13 (open to the air) and a sewer line 20.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the “waste-tee” connector 19. The leg 17 of the tee extends perpendicularly from the sewer line 20 and has an internal pipe thread 24 on its end that screws into a short pipe nipple 29. A gasket 21 is positioned on the end of nipple 29. A collar 26 screws onto the nipple 29 and squeezes the gasket 21. The end of the tube 16 is telescoped through the gasket 21 and into the free end of the nipple 29 so that, when the collar 26 is tightened onto the nipple 29, the gasket 21 is squeezed and closes down onto the tube 16 forming a water tight seal.
The sewer drain 20 is typically concealed (embedded) in the building wall 23.
The wall of a newer home is usually a decorated (expensive) wall, often tile.
When the house was originally built with a smaller sink, the architect designed the “P” trap to be in-line with the waste connector and the tube 16 was short, perpendicular to the wall, and straight.
When a new sink is installed (replacing the older sink), the larger sink has a drain that is not “in-line” with the waste tee. The problem is illustrated in FIG. 4 which is a top sectional view showing that the sewer line 20 is not aligned with the sink drain 10.
According to the present state of the industry, there are only two “legal” solutions to make the connection when the drain is offset from the sewer as shown in FIG. 3.
One solution is to break the wall and move the sewer with waste tee into alignment with the new sink drain. This is usually very expensive because it generally involves retailing the wall. Yet this option is taken many times incurring considerable expense for the homeowner.
Another solution is for the plumber to bend the tube to fit in the required space. However, the connecting tube 16 is a chrome plated thin walled brass tube (a showpiece). It is impossible to bend the tube 16 without causing the tube wall to wrinkle and/or collapse. At best, the bent connecting tube is very unsightly—offensive to the homeowner.
A third solution is to solder pieces of tube together to somehow form the convoluted pathway from drain to waste tee. This solution is against the law.
None of these solutions provide the satisfaction to the homeowner that is provided by the present invention.